Digital Commons Network^™

Strategies For The Intelligent Selection Of Components, Valerie Maxville

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

It is becoming common to build applications as component-intensive systems - a mixture of fresh code and existing components. For application developers the selection of components to incorporate is key to overall system quality - so they want the `best'. For each selection task, the application developer will de ne requirements for the ideal component and use them to select the most suitable one. While many software selection processes exist there is a lack of repeatable, usable, exible, automated processes with tool support. This investigation has focussed on nding and implementing strategies to enhance the selection of software components. The …

Finite Element Analysis Of Stress Distribution Within Metal-On-Metal Joint Replacements, Yujing Liu

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Demand for joint replacements is rising in Australia, driven by a sharp increase in the number of joint problems associated with population aging and obesity. In artificial joints, delamination or failure within the coatings occurs when the stress reaches a critical level, resulting in large wear debris particles appearing on the contact surface between the head and the cup. The process has been described as due to a stress-corrosion-cracking mechanism. Under the same loading, stress increases when the contact area decreases, which happens in the vicinity of wear debris. As such, once wear debris is generated, a catastrophic process could …

Application Framework For Wireless Sensor Networks [Thesis], Amro Qandour

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are based on innovative technologies that had revolutionized the methods in which we interact with the environment; i.e., through sensing the physical (e.g., fire motion, contact) and chemical (e.g., molecular concentration) properties of the natural surroundings. The hardware in which utilized by WSNs is rapidly evolving into sophisticated platforms that seamlessly integrate with different vendors and protocols (plug-n-play). In this thesis, we propose a WSN framework which provides assistance with monitoring environmental conditions; we focus on three main applications which include: a. Air-quality monitoring, b. Gas-leak detection, and c. Fire sensing. The framework involves four specifications: …

An Improved Medium Access Control Protocol For Real-Time Applications In Wlans And Its Firmware Development, Sushil Dutt

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The IEEE 802.11 Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), commonly known as Wi-Fi, has emerged as a popular internet access technology and researchers are continuously working on improvement of the quality of service (QoS) in WLAN by proposing new and efficient schemes. Voice and video over Internet Protocol (VVoIP) applications are becoming very popular in Wi-Fi enabled portable/handheld devices because of recent technological advancements and lower service costs. Different from normal voice and video streaming, these applications demand symmetric throughput for the upstream and downstream. Existing Wi-Fi standards are optimised for generic internet applications and fail to provide symmetric throughput due …

A Method For Securing Online Community Service: A Study Of Selected Western Australian Councils, Sunsern Limwiriyakul

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Since the Internet was made publicly accessible, it has become increasingly popular and its deployment has been broad and global thereby facilitating a range of available online services such as Electronic Mail (email), news or bulletins, Internet Relay Chat (IRC) and World Wide Web (WWW). Progressively, other online services such as telephony, video conference, video on demand, Interactive Television (ITV) and Geographic Information System (GIS) have been integrated with the Internet and become publicly available. Presently, Internet broadband communication services incorporating both wired and wireless network technologies has seen the emergence of the concept of a digital community which has …

Multi-Wavelength, Multi-Beam, Photonic Based Sensor For Object Discrimination And Positioning, Kavitha Venkataraayan

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Over the last decade, substantial research efforts have been dedicated towards the development of advanced laser scanning systems for discrimination in perimeter security, defence, agriculture, transportation, surveying and geosciences. Military forces, in particular, have already started employing laser scanning technologies for projectile guidance, surveillance, satellite and missile tracking; and target discrimination and recognition. However, laser scanning is relatively a new security technology. It has previously been utilized for a wide variety of civil and military applications. Terrestrial laser scanning has found new use as an active optical sensor for indoors and outdoors perimeter security. A laser scanning technique with moving …

Principals' Strategies For Improving The Academic Achievement Of Students Of Disadvantaged Rural Junior High Schools In Ghana, Erasmus Kormla Norviewu-Mortty

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The academic performance of students in public basic schools in rural Ghana during the past two decades has declined significantly (Akyeampong, 2007). Government efforts to remedy this have not yielded any sustainable result (Atta-Quayson, 2007). The Saboba District Junior High Schools are among the lowest-performing rural schools. Generally, inadequate funding and resourcing are blamed for poor academic achievement of disadvantaged, rural students. During eight years of teaching in the Saboba District, the Researcher observed that the academic achievement of students in some schools remained high while that of others in the same locality remained low. Further, the Researcher’s experiences suggested …

Microstructure And Mechanical Properties Of Cold Drawn Steel Wires, Ning Liu

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Cold drawn eutectoid steel wires have been widely used for a variety of applications, such as suspension bridges, steel cords for automobile tires, and springs. Much research has been done to increase their mechanical strength. With advances in modern production technology, both the drawing speed and the quality of drawn steels have been enhanced. After a careful literature survey, it is obvious that some issues are still controversial. As Y.S. Yang, J.G. Bae and C.G. Park mentioned, the lamellar spacing, thickness and volume fraction of cementites have all reached the nanometer regime, and the conventional theory is not enough to …

Practical Precooling Strategies And Cycling Time Trial Performance, Megan L. Ross

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Whole-body precooling can improve endurance exercise performance, especially in the heat; however there are logistical considerations that restrict the use of various precooling strategies prior to actual competition. Precooling is proposed to collectively reduce deep skin and body temperature and in effect, increase the heat storage capacity of an athlete, thereby allowing a greater amount of work to be completed prior to attainment of a critical core temperature. While there is a sound theoretical basis for implementing precooling to improve cycling time trial performance in the heat, the practicalities of employing effective precooling strategies in the field warrant further investigation. …

The Simulation Of Material Types In A Western Australian Iron Deposit, Jacqueline Ferreira

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Geostatistical methods are currently used by mining companies to determine a resource model of the tonnage and head grade that may be obtained from a potential orebody, making it one of the first and most vital operational stages in any mining project. Currently long term mine planning is based on the estimated head grades model, which provides vital information on the quality of the ore. The risks associated with mining a particular ore may be reduced if geometallurgical information, such as material types, is incorporated into the operational flow model. Material type proportions are obtained from evaluated reverse circulation (RC) …

Linear-Cavity Tunable Fibre Lasers Employing An Opto-Vlsi Processor And A Mems-Based Device, David Daniel Michel

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This thesis proposes and demonstrates experimentally two novel linear-cavity tunable fibre lasers employing an erbium-doped fibre (EDF) in conjunction with an Opto- VLSI processor and a MEMS-based device for wavelength selection. The Opto-VLSI processor and the MEMS-based device along with an optical collimator, a Bragg grating plate and an optical lens, enable the realisation of an optical filter for continuous tuning of wavelengths over the amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) range of the EDF. We also propose the use of a section of un-pumped EDF as a saturable absorber (SA), which suppresses noise spikes caused by the high optical pumping power. …

High Performance Magneto-Optic Garnet Materials For Integrated Optics And Photonics, Mohammad Alam

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This work explores the preparation, characteristics and properties of highly bismuth (Bi) substituted, metal doped, iron garnet compounds and investigates their potential for various emerging applications in the visible and near infrared spectral regions.

Bi-substituted iron garnet and garnet-oxide nanocomposite films of generic composition type (Bi, Dy/Lu)3(Fe, Ga/Al)5O12 are prepared by using a radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering technique. The physical properties (crystallinity, film morphology, optical absorption spectra across the visible spectral range and the elemental composition of layers), and magneto-optic behaviour (Faraday rotation, hysteresis loops of Faraday rotation, and magnetic switching behaviour) of these sputtered garnet films are investigated …

Developing Knowledge For Real World Problem Scenarios : Using 3d Gaming Technology Within A Problem-Based Learning Framework, Michael Garrett

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Problem-based learning is an instructional strategy that emphasises active and experiential learning through problem-solving activity. Using gaming technologies to embed this approach in a three-dimensional (3D) simulation environment provides users with a dynamic, responsive, visually engaging, and cost effective learning experience. Representing real world problems in 3D simulation environments develops knowledge and skills that are applicable to their resolution.

The Simulation, User, and Problem-based Learning (SUPL) Design Framework was developed to inform the design of learning environments which develop problem-solving knowledge for real world application. This framework identifies design factors relative to the user, the problem-solving task, and the 3D …

Swamp : Walking The Wetlands Of The Swan Coastal Plain ; And With The Exegesis, A Walk In The Anthropocene: Homesickness And The Walker-Writer, Anandashila Saraswati

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This project is comprised of a creative work and accompanying exegesis. The creative work is a collection of poetry which examines the history and ecology of the wetlands and river systems of the Swan Coastal Plain, and which utilises the practice of walking as a research methodology. For the creative practitioner walking reintroduces the body as a fundamental definer of experience, placing the investigation centrally in the corporeal self, using the physical senses as investigative tools of enquiry. As Rebecca Solnit comments in her history of walking, ‘exploring the world is one of the best ways of exploring the mind, …

An Exploration Of The Experience And Social Construction Of Ageing: Perspectives From Older Adults In A Healthy Ageing Program And Those From Western Australian And Welsh Communities, Sasha A. Stumpers

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

In recent years, a strong focus has emerged towards developing and implementing guidelines, policies, governmental strategies and research agendas that best support a growing ageing population (United Nations, 1983, 1990, 1991, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2012; United Nations Programme on Ageing/International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 2007; United Nations/Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 2008; World Health Organization, 2002, 2004a). Locally in Western Australia (WA), nationally and internationally, this attention has culminated in a focus on promoting the notion of “healthy ageing” (Commonwealth of Australia, 1999; Commonwealth States and Territories, 2000; Office for Seniors Interests and Volunteering, 2006; U.S. Department of …

The Power Of Music: Application Of The First Amendment To Copyright Regulation Of Internet Radio, Amanda Reid

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Building Support For The Introductory Oral Communication Course: Strategies For Widespread And Enduring Support On Campus, Jon A. Hess

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

A strong introductory course is important for many communication departments, for the discipline, and for meeting our obligation to society. This paper utilizes the example of a recent curricular reform that threatened to eliminate a required oral communication course to reflect on strategies departments can use to build widespread and lasting support for the course. The paper reviews the events that led to the challenge and details the department’s response, which offers lessons that may be useful for other institutions. Four lessons include: tailoring the introductory course to the institution’s needs and mission, involvement in university work, making compelling use …

Forensics As A Correlate Of Graduate School Success, Todd T. Holm, Heather J. Carmack

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

Forensics is an extremely popular extracurricular activity in the communication discipline and often provides competitors with skills required for success in graduate school. This exploratory study examines the relationships between forensics competition and success in graduate school. Through a survey of 169 graduate students, we compare graduate students with a forensics background (n = 35) and those without a forensics background (n = 134). The study generates several important findings. First, graduate students who competed in forensics report higher levels success in graduate school and are more likely to present conference papers and publish in academic journals. Second, the level …

Administrating Integration: The Principles Of Integrated Communication In The Institutional Setting, Brian G. Smith

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

As an emerging paradigm for communication management, integrated communication, also referred to as integrated marketing communication (IMC), poses challenges to communication administration, particularly when institutes of higher learning face a departmentalized context that may impede integration efforts. This article outlines the principles of integrated communication and illustrates them in a university’s integrated communication efforts. Integration may function as an organic process of interpersonal and social connected.

Complete Issue, Volume 31, Issue 1

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

This is the complete issue for Volume 31, Issue 1 of the Journal of the Association for Communication Administration.

The Effect Of Recruitment Messages On Undergraduate Beliefs About The Communication Major: A Quasi-Experiment, Eric B. Meiners, Karen L. Rudick

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

Despite the importance of attracting talented and qualified undergraduates into the major, the subject of recruitment for communication has received little attention. This study examines the effectiveness of a one-shot informative recruitment message on students’ beliefs and attitudes toward the communication major. As part of a quasi-experiment using a Solomon four-group design, two upper-division majors presented recruitment presentations addressing the benefits of, and misconceptions toward, the major to 130 students enrolled in introductory public speaking classes. Post-tests revealed that students exposed to the message reported significantly more favorable attitudes toward communication than those who had not seen a presentation (n …

Complete Issue, Volume 31, Issue 2

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

This is the complete issue for Volume 31, Issue 2 of the Journal of the Association for Communication Administration.

Development Of A Modular Dual Engine Hybrid Electric Vehicle Simulation Model, Kenan Baltaci

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Depleting resources of fossil fuel, climate change impacts, high oil prices, and strict emission requirements are leading to the research on efficient, environmentally friendly, and lowered fossil fuel dependent solutions in the transportation field. While a number of studies used computer modeling and simulation tools to investigate hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), very few attempted to model and simulate a dual-engine hybrid vehicle. Designing a vehicle engine to meet energy needs in the fully loaded condition is not an optimal solution for manufacturers and customers. The larger the engine, the higher the manufacturing costs for companies, and higher fuel consumption for …

Research On Antifungal And Inhibitory Effects Of Dl-Limonene On Some Yeasts, Mustafa Ümi̇t Ünal, Fi̇li̇z Uçan, Aysun Şener, Sadik Di̇nçer

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

This study was undertaken to investigate the antifungal effect of DL-limonene on yeasts using disk diffusion and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). The effect of DL-limonene on ethyl alcohol fermentation by Saccharomyces cerevisiae was also investigated. According to disk diffusion results, the development of an inhibition zone was observed in all microorganisms tested. The inhibition zones were larger than those occurring with the Fungizone antibiotic used as the control. Inhibition zone diameters increased with increasing amounts of DL-limonene. MIC results varied between 500 and 4000 µg mL^{-1} depending on the yeast strain. DL-limonene at a concentration of 0.20% (w v^{-1}) …

Estimating Wetting Front Coordinates Under Surface Trickle Irrigation, Ahad Molavi, Aliashraf Sadraddini, Amir Hossein Nazemi, Ahmad Fakheri Fard

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

In this study, wetting front or wetted bulb coordinates in soil under surface trickle irrigation were measured for 1 loam soil and 2 sandy loam soils with 2 different emitter discharges of 2 and 4 L h^{-1} by using the trenching method. A model is presented for estimating wetted bulb coordinates with a function of emitter discharge, water application time, average variation in volumetric water content, and saturated hydraulic conductivity of soil. For calculating the distance of the maximum wet surface, relationships are presented based on saturated hydraulic conductivity and water application time. By comparison of measured values of wetting …

Artificial Neural Network Modeling Of Process And Product Indices In Deep Bed Drying Of Rough Rice, Mojtaba Tohidi, Morteza Sadeghi, Seyed Rasoul Mousavi, Seyed Ahmad Mireei

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

This study aimed to model the performance indices of deep bed drying of rough rice using artificial neural networks (ANNs), compare the ANN approach to the multivariate regression method, and determine the sensitivity of the ANN model to the input variables. The effects of air temperature, air velocity, and air relative humidity on drying kinetics, product output rate (POR), evaporation rate (ER), and percentage of kernel cracking (KC) were investigated. To predict the dependent parameters, 3 well-known networks, namely the multilayer perceptron, generalized feed forward (GFF), and modular neural network, were examined. The GFF networks with the Levenberg-Marquardt learning algorithm, …

Different Furrow Management Techniques For Cotton Production And Water Conservation In Harran Plain, Şanlıurfa, Riza Kanber, Sermet Önder, Mustafa Ünlü, Servet Teki̇n, Semi̇h Meti̇n Sezen, Kenan Di̇ker

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

In this study, the water saving and conservation potential of various furrow irrigation management techniques for irrigated cotton were compared. Conventional every-furrow irrigation with open-end furrows (EFO) and blocked-end furrows (EFB), and alternate every-other-furrow management with open-end furrows (AFO) and blocked-end furrows (AFB), were considered. Considerable seasonal water savings were obtained with AFO and AFB flows, on average from 717 mm to 906 mm, respectively, when compared to EFO. Alternate furrows showed the ability to reduce tailwater runoff considerably. When compared with EFO, water use was reduced by 9063 m^3 ha^{-1} (60%) using AFB and 7167 m^3 ha^{-1} (48%) using …

Application Of Data Mining On Evaluation Of Energy Dissipation Over Low Gabion-Stepped Weir, Farzin Salmasi, Mohammad Taghi Sattari, Mahesh Pal

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Results of a study designed to examine the behavior of gabion-stepped weirs for energy dissipation are presented in this paper. Laboratory tests were conducted with 8 physical models consisting of 3 different porosities (38%, 40%, and 42%) and 2 slopes (1:1 and 1:2). An iron plate was also placed on each horizontal and vertical step to study and classify the effect of step porosity on the energy dissipation rate. A decision tree technique was used to derive if-then rules in order to classify the energy dissipation through the weir models. Results from this study suggest that a decision tree model …

Large Scale Evaluation Of Single Storm And Short/Long Term Erosivity Index Models, Alidad Karami, Mehdi Homaee, Mohammad Reza Neyshabouri, Sadegh Afzalinia, Sanaz Basirat

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Rainfall erosivity of the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) is influenced by the type, amount, and intensity of storm. In this research, rainfall data from 18 recording rain gauge stations were collected and analyzed. Further, their single storm, daily, monthly, and annual erosion indices were calculated and estimated by different models. Duration of each rainfall was divided into 15 min intervals. Intensity and energy of each interval, maximum rainfall intensity of 30 min, total energy of each rainfall, and erosivity index of every single storm were calculated. Furthermore, Cooley's model for single storm was evaluated and its coefficients were …

The Effect Of Various Long-Term Tillage Systems On Soil Properties And Spring Barley Yield, Irena Malecka, Andrzej Blecharczyk, Zuzanna Sawinska, Tomasz Dobrzeniecki

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

This study, performed on a soil that is classified as Albic Luvisols that developed on loamy sands overlying loamy material (1.4% organic matter and pH 6.5), concerns the impact of tillage systems on soil properties and the yield of spring barley. The experiment design included 3 tillage systems: conventional tillage, reduced tillage, and no-tillage. Continuous cultivation for 7 consecutive years by reduced tillage and no-tillage led to changes in the physical properties of the surface soil layer (0-5 cm). At the stem elongation growth stage of spring barley, conservation tillage systems resulted in a higher water content and bulk density …